Chapter 12 - Group Processes

Group Roles

patterns of behavior people are expected to adopt based on the functions of a position

Blocker

tries to block all group actions and refuses to go along with group

Initiator

recommends new ideas about, or novel solutions to, a problem

Coordinator

integrates information from the group

Elaborator

clarifies and expands on the points made by others

Role Ambiguity

sense of uncertainty over the requirements of a particular role

Role Conflict

when the expectations associated with one role interfere with expectations concerning another role

Group Norms

rules that groups adopt, governing appropriate and inappropriate behavior for members

purpose: prediction of group member behavior, providing a sense of identity to the the group, facilitation of group production

Organizational Socialization

process by which new employees learn group roles and norms and develop specific work skills and abilities

process:

Anticipatory: workers develop expectations about the organization and the job

Accommodation: workers begin to learn about the various roles that others play in the group and their specific roles

Role Management: workers become regular members and manage their roles

Group Conformity

the process of adhering to group norms, helps maintain order and uniformity in group behavior

downside: when a group member violates norms extremely or repeatedly, this results in ostracism from the group

Group Cohesiveness

degree of attraction among group members

factors associated: job complexity and autonomy influence cohesiveness, similarity - similar background, education, and attitudes increase cohesiveness

downside: “think alike” limits innovation and creativity, strong cohesiveness can produce the “we-they feeling”; often workers perceive that they are good, and management is bad

Group Efficacy

group’s shared belief that they can attain organizational outcomes

research evidence: group ________ enhances job satisfaction, organizational commitment, cohesiveness, and group productivity

Cooperation

process where group members help each other to achieve organizational or individual goals, often based on reciprocity rule, increases with task interdependence

downside:

Social Loafing: some workers in groups put in less effort than they would when they work alone

Competition

process where group members are pitted against one another to achieve individual goals

some level of competition may increase motivation to perform, when goals are already set, it may lead to a decrease in performance

Sources of Conflict

scarcity of important resources, individual and group interdependence, the “we-they” feeling (e.g., unions vs. managers), interpersonal conflicts, personality factors (e.g. conflict-prone individuals)

results: increase work motivation, creativity and innovation, the quality of decision-making, and organizational communication’; decrease group cohesiveness, effective communication job satisfaction, and group goal accomplishment

Individual Conflict Management Strategies

Dominating (Forcing): persisting in a conflict until one party attains personal goals at the expense of the other’s

Accommodation: making a sacrifice to resolve a conflict

Compromise: both parties give up some part of their goals

Collaboration: parties cooperate to reach a solution that satisfies both

Avoidance: withdrawing from or avoiding a conflict situation

Group Decision Making Strategies

Autocratic Decision Making: group leaders makes decisions alone, using only the information the leader possesses

Consultative Decision Making: leader solicits inputs from group members but still holds the final say, which leads to higher quality decision

Democratic Decision Making: decisions are made by group members based on majority-rule voting

Consensus: decision making based on entire member agreement

Groupthink

syndrome characterized by a concurrence-seeking tendency that overrides the ability of a cohesive group to make critical decisions; hinders critical decision making

a phenomenon where the desire for group consensus and harmony leads to poor decision-making

Group Polarization

tendency for groups to make more extreme decisions, either more risky or more cautious, than individuals

Intraindividual Conflict

an individual facing with two incompatible goals

Interindividual Conflict

between two people in a group

Intragroup Conflict

a person within a group attempts to achieve a goal that interferes with group goals

Intergroup Conflict

between two groups trying to attain their respective goals